Fury of the Fae
by Aeria Li
Summary: My first Laby ff, so be kind and R&R! PLEASE! The Faerie Princess, who turns out to be a former girl who accepted J's offer of dreams, has plans for Sarah. But, what are they exactly as she brings her back to the Underground. Mild lang. & provo. scenes
1. Chapter 1: The Morning After

Labyrinth: Fury of the Fae By: Sable Li  
  
Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter One: The Morning After  
  
"Sarah...Sarah..."  
  
She awoke to the calling of her stepmother. Her brown hair was tangled and she felt uncomfortable. She then knew why as she looked down with sleepy eyes to see she still wore her jeans and shirt - the same very ensemble she wore through the Labyrinth, to save her brother, Toby, from the Goblin King.  
  
...Was it all just a dream? Hoggle, Ludo, and the others were gone. But, their laughter still rang heartily in her fresh memory.  
  
"Sarah!"  
  
"I'm coming," Sarah acknowledged her stepmother's call.  
  
"Was it all just a dream?" she whispered questionably to herself.  
  
There was no evidence of her newfound friends ever being there. All the evidence that remained was etched in her mind's eye. A solemn expression was placed about her face; she heard Toby cry in the other room. Sarah's face lightened to a smile... "He's safe," she reassured herself.  
  
"I must've fell asleep..." she whispered to herself once more as she gathered fresh clothes before heading to the shower. She smiled ~ her dream must've been out of rage from last night. But, it gave her a new outlook to her family...a happy one.  
  
She took a quick shower, checked on her brother, and grabbed a bite to eat, then hugged her stepmother and father before heading out the door.  
  
"What's gotten into her?" her stepmother asked.  
  
"I don't know, but she's smiling...that's all that matters to me," her father replied in dismay.  
  
~*~  
  
She had made that leap for her brother.  
  
"Give me the child," she demanded with such firmness in her sweet voice.  
  
He started to walk towards her, his white feathery cape following within the wake of his fiery steps. "Sarah, beware," his voice stern, the hawk- like gaze never lifting off the sight of her face. "I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel."  
  
Sarah's hazel gaze never lifted from his mismatched blue and brown eyes. She asked,"Generous?" Pausing, she then continued a bit more boldly, "What have you done that's generous?" Rigidly standing, there was still softness emanating from her sweet tone.  
  
Jareth's blood boiled; her words awaking anger from within. "Everything!" Shouting, the man realized his outburst and continued a bit more serenely, circling around her, studying her and every inch of her form. "Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken...I took him. You cowarded before me...I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you!"  
  
He stopped, a little exhausted to look at her, thinking to himself "does she not know how I truly feel?" The question ran through his mind like a malevolent cancer before he breathed deeply,"I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?"  
  
Sarah looked at him and words remembered shifted and bubbled up into her mind. She began to recite them as they poured from her psyche down to her mouth,"Through dangers untold and hardships outnumbered," she approached him,"I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City."  
  
Jareth sensed the strength, her courage within her steadfast gaze upon him. He backed away, but Sarah still asserted herself matching his backward steps with forward ones. "My will is as strong as yours and my..." He halted her words with an abrupt extension of his hand."Wait! Look Sarah..." a gossamer crystal bubble formed into his hand from his fingertips. "Look what I'm offering you. Your dreams." His words were meant for the tempting.  
  
Seemingly un-phased by his offer, she continued, "...And my kingdom as great..."  
  
Jareth lowered the crystal and stated,"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want."  
  
Was there a sense of sadness and plea in his eyes and tone?  
  
She looked away from him and replied thoughtfully, "My kingdom is great."  
  
She seemed to be thinking with a great accord. Jareth, thinking that his temptations might be eating at her, or may something else, offered her the crystal once again with an almost yielding expression. It was his final attempt to woe her, to grab her dreams as his own... But something deep inside him said that things weren't going to be as he wanted them.  
  
Sarah whispered almost inaudibly, "Damn...I can never remember that line."  
  
He then stated, "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."  
  
'Love me?' his words echoed briefly in her thoughts - love? 'I will be your slave?'  
  
Sarah looked away, composing herself; she pushed away his plea, forgetting it to clear her mind and recited the lines once more. "My kingdom is great, my kingdom is great..." until the line finally remembered brushed past her lips. Looking up at him, she says them with a paint of triumph, "You have no power over me!"  
  
With the look in his eyes and the extension of the crystal once more she thought he might've tempted her with the dreams he promised.  
  
"You have no power over me..." the hours are up as her words are repeated and a solemn expression washed Jareth's face.  
  
He tossed the crystal up and allowed the dreams of the young girl shatter and dissipate out of existence. The dreams that he himself offered her...  
  
Jareth had given her back Toby. Sarah had won over him, and of course he had lost a 'goblin', but why did he feel so empty? He thought it might've been because he lost these things, but that thought was of no reassurance. Did he loose his heart to this...this mere girl? - and when he could not tempt her with dreams and his charm, he had truly lost...  
  
"No..." he whispered to himself as he peered down at his Goblin City from the balcony. "I will not allow myself grow mad with such foolish ideas."  
  
He then stormed towards his Goblin throne dressed in the dark outfit he had first worn when he met Sarah. "Move out of my way!" he shouted out to his minions before sitting and slumping into thought. He closed his painted eyes and arched an already heighten eyebrow. "I think I'm getting a headache..."  
  
"...Well, I guess there's a first time for everything," ensued a mysterious voice, the identity masked by the veil of darkness from his eyelids.  
  
He opened them to see a petite form standing at the balcony entrance. Her hair was long and wavy, with a strawberry tint to its natural blondeness. Her eyes were catty, green in colour and painted with lime green silver glitter, while her nose small and somewhat upturn. On either side of her face sat a pointed delicate elfin ear; the girl wasn't beautiful, but was still quite lovely in a fae-ish sort of way.  
  
She moved towards him in the bask of the light with such conviction and grace, allowing her white and sea green chemise glimmer and move with the rhythms of her body. The silver beaded trail attached to the emerald belt of her skirt followed behind her steps, slightly sweeping away the path she walked.  
  
"Lorna..." Jareth grumbled looking away, "...Your presence is not desired. Go away - play in your little pixie games or whatever you do."  
  
"Oh Jareth," Lorna, the Faerie Princess, giggled, "dear, dear Jareth. You've never denied me before!" She purred, stooping herself down to her knees by his throne, resting her head on his outer thigh. Jareth became tense, abruptly stood to his feet, knocking the petite faerie backwards. "I never denied you because I never wanted you," he snarled as he kicked at his goblins, stepping a couple of feet away from her. A cynical almost sexy look gleamed upon his face.  
  
Lorna steadied herself to her feet and brushed off the dust from her slim body. She smirked, "Hmmm...darling, you speak in such riddles! You only act this way because of that...that mortal!"  
  
"Stop," Jareth warned.  
  
"Sarah, is it? What was it she declared?" the faerie sneered.  
  
"Stop," he looked upon her with haunting eyes, bringing new life to the expression 'if looks could kill'. His voice was like a British dagger; but the Faerie Princess was invulnerable...  
  
"Ah, yes," Lorna smiled with glee. "You have no power over me! After all the generous gifts you bestowed upon her, she resented you. You let your blind set sight impair you from your goals...from the boy. You practically handed the child back into the wench's arms." She snickered and whispered, reciting the dooming line once more,"You have no power over me."  
  
He walked over to her with arrogant stride and pinned her to the wall, his forearm supporting against it for leverage. The goblins gasp and then begin to laugh - he shouted hotly,"QUIET!"  
  
Looking into Lorna's vivid and shimmering eyes, he retorted with certain coldness and smiled distastefully. "Do not dare me, dear Lorna. You antagonize me so, hoping to make some absent point. Mind your own." She returned his glare and turned up her chin, "You were defeated, Jareth...of the Underground, King of the Goblins. And, by the same very girl who thought my faeries were benevolent and granted willful wishes."  
  
The Faerie Princess laughed under her breath and continued, "You made a mistake, Jareth. A lethal mistake. You fell in love with her."  
  
"What!?" he bursted out the word and chuckled. "You are stupider than you look!"  
  
"You may label me as stupid, but it was your heart -if you even have one- that fell into that category. I can see love better than any creature or beast here in the Underground. And whether you accept it or not, it will always remain the bitter truth," she insisted before shrinking into a shimmering speck and flinting off in high-pitched laughter.  
  
Jareth was in pure disgust, and it was apparent in his demeanor from the snarl he paid to his followers. He once again sat on his throne and formed a crystal in his hand... 


	2. Chapter 2: A Willfull Proposal

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 2:  
  
A Willful Proposal  
  
Sarah had found herself gazing out the window in bountiful thought off and on all day while she was at school. She had wanted to share her dream with others, but declined from the idea. Her classmates always teased her about her vivid imagination and she didn't want to add fuel to the fire.  
  
She glanced away from the window to the clock hanging above the blackboard. "It's almost three," she thought to herself. "School is almost over."  
  
Sarah then shifted her attention to her fellow classmates and frowned. The blonde cheerleader giggled as she looked upon her, whispering in another girl's ear. Sarah quickly turned her attention away. "Why do they always criticize me? It's not fair!" she thought once more.  
  
Just then the bell rung, prompting the students quickly out of their seats to head home. Sarah followed quietly behind the crowd with her schoolbooks held tightly to her chest. She tried her best to avoid those girls before exiting the school.  
  
To her amazement, the sky was gray and a slight, chilled breeze mingled the air. Tiny droplets weaved within the wind, signifying another downpour was on its way. Sarah wanted to rush home quickly before she got caught up in the mess. She did not admire the idea of becoming drenched.  
  
She ran down the street towards her home. As she approached it and was about to enter, she heard something that caught her attention just above. The sound was coupled with a sense of melancholy, but she had no idea why. This feeling was what prompted her to glance upwards...she couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh my God," she gasped as the rain started to pour, beating in soft sighs against the paneling of the house.  
  
A small white owl flew to the treetops, leaving an unsettled feeling confirmed in Sarah's chest. It was precise and graceful in its swoops and darts, maneuvering quickly to avoid most of the brunt of the teardrops of the heavens.  
  
"Jareth..." she whispered. "No...it couldn't be him! It was all just a dream!"  
  
Startled, she quickly rushed into her house and closed the door immediately behind her. All the lights were off and a certain eerie feeling swept through her once again. "Dad..." she whispered, edging her way on in. The rain began to tap onto the windows, startling her into the staircase. "Ouch!" she cursed before glancing over to a note on the coffee table. Sarah approached it slowly, picked it up and read it. It was from her stepmother:  
  
"Dear Sarah, I hope you had a wonderful day at school. Your father is working late and I took Toby to the pediatrician for his check-up. Will be home soon! See you then."  
  
Suddenly, a large crash was heard in the living room. Hesitantly, she rushed down to see what was going on. Sarah brushed her hand against the light switch and tried to flick it on...it didn't work! A sense of pain reared itself visible, as the feelings fluttered across her cheeks - the scene seemed all too familiar. All too familiar.  
  
"NO!" Sarah shouted as she remembered Jareth's eccentric image from memory. "This can't be! Go away!" she screamed as the wind began to blow through the busted window.  
  
"I didn't wish this, I didn't wish this!" she exclaimed once more.  
  
"Calm down," came a soothing feminine voice.  
  
Sarah's hazel eyes widened, adjusting to the darkness of the room. She saw nobody but she was sure she heard a voice. "What?" she pleaded. "Who are you...where are you?"  
  
Just as those words passed between her lips, a small gold spark flew past the profile of her face. It distressed her a bit, but she watched the tiny glowing mass wave around the living room. She could've sworn she heard it laugh slightly but she wasn't sure. "It's such a complete and utter shame we did not cross paths in your hours past within the Underground," it chirped, leaving a confused look upon Sarah's face.  
  
"No... it was a dream..." Sarah whispered, unable to acknowledge the evidence before her.  
  
The small glowing spark flickered once, then twice, then it grew, illuminating the room to a golden hue. Sarah shielded her eyes until the brightness dulled away before looking where the spark had once trembled. She was stunned to see what stood before her - a girl, about two inches shorter than she with lively green eyes and wild fair hair. The girl only stood there smiling with her pouty violet lips and glitter dazzling off her finely heightened cheeks. She tilted her head a bit, allowing a waterfall of curls to escape down her shoulder, pouring politely and gently down to the small of her back.  
  
Sarah asked once again, beyond her dismay, "Who are you?"  
  
"Princess Lorna of the Faeries," the girl declared, tilting her head and placing her small hands on her narrow hips.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked firmly, never lifting her gaze from the intruder before her. "I know what you're thinking, Sarah, and please know I'm not here to harm you. My intentions are purely innocent," Lorna said almost mockingly.  
  
"Hoggle warned me about you. He warned me about the faeries!" Sarah shouted cautiously.  
  
"Hoggle?" the faerie sneered then laughed aloud. "Ah yes, the thieving dwarf. You had better watch whom you ally yourself with. Besides not all faeries are malice. I am an example of such an exception. Just like there exists immoral human beings, there also dwell immoral faeries. Same lies with the good. Both qualities lie within every race...every species. The basis of their character lies solely in the individual."  
  
Sarah looked at her skeptically for a moment before she replied. "I see. You must see why I can't take you seriously. You barge into my home. You made me realize my so-called dream was in fact real!"  
  
Lorna responded, "I understand why you can't trust me...yet, anyway. Trust is something you earn and I plan to. Sarah, I'm here to warn you about Jareth."  
  
"Jareth?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Yes," Lorna said, her bright eyes widening to accent the importance of the situation. "You brought hope to the Underground. You outwitted Jareth in his own game! Don't you understand?"  
  
"Understand what?" Sarah asked again, her eyes narrowing.  
  
Lorna smiled, "You defeated him! He who has inflicted so much pain to the Underground! Jareth despises you for it."  
  
"Despises me?" Sarah looked down almost in a dream like state. Everything was so surreal; it didn't seem real. "But..."  
  
The faerie approached the brunette with apparent grace. The Princess could see the questions underlying in the young girl's eyes. She smiled politely, trying to comfort Sarah and stated, "Don't worry. Jareth carries not a single positive feeling for anyone but himself. Now, you must listen to me. We need you...The Underground needs you! Ever since you defeated him, Jareth has caused nothing more than cruel havoc upon the citizens of the Underground. Even more so than usual! The Fae Kingdom...the Underground needs you. You defeated him once before, now we need your help for the sake of the citizens. The Kingdom of Fae can restore order. But...only with your help, young Sarah."  
  
The Princess brushed back a wavy lock behind her pointed ear and quirked her lips. She seemed to be patiently waiting for an answer, but something behind those emerald eyes awakened queries in the teenage girl.  
  
"Lorna, I just don't know," replied Sarah.  
  
"Think about your friends. Hoggle, for one...and the others. Jareth is certain to do far worse things to them because of their connection to you. You don't want anything to befall upon them, do you? Please...I beg of you! Consider this - you're our only hope," Lorna insisted once more. She eyed Sarah's modest reaction carefully before adding, "You won't have to worry about the Underground again. Your friends will be safe under my rule."  
  
"Hoggle...Ludo...Sir Didymus..." Sarah drifted off into thought. A sly smile played about Lorna's lips. "I suppose that means you'll help us?" replied Lorna arching a blonde brow and taking a handful of her white beaded cape in hand.  
  
Sarah only nodded, looking blankly to the floor. "Of course. My friends need me. Just as they helped me save Toby, I must help them now."  
  
"Excellent, "Lorna sneered as she transported them both to the realm of the Underground with one single swing of her cape. 


	3. Chapter 3: That's Underground

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
~That's Underground~  
  
One moment she was surrounded by the shroud of darkness in her living room...the next, well, it was the most beautiful sight she ever seen.  
  
At first, Sarah blinked, looking up at the crisp blue sky. She admired its clearness, free from haze or flaws, the fluffy white clouds striding across perfect azure color. Tiny pastel petals and crisp leaves fluttered in the warm breezes. The heavenly smell of lavender accompanied the tangible objects in their bountiful voyage across the picturesque backdrop.  
  
Shifting her gaze over the lively green plants and vivid flourishing flowers, Sarah instantly felt like she was a part of a fairy tale based storybook. The images and the land around her were so lovely. Its complete vernal essence was breathtaking.  
  
As she stood there and stared at its entirety in awe, she could not help but think of the Labyrinth. This landscape was completely different than the Underground she remembered! She eyed her environment with complete amazement and whispered, "Truly...I have never seen anything more beautiful."  
  
"Yes, it certainly is a pure Utopia," Princess Lorna said as she smiled lightly, walking out in front of Sarah. The small wind fanned out her wild golden locks a bit as she stared at the young girl with bright green eyes. Sarah continued to admire the atmosphere and environment about her, tempting the faerie to stomp her foot and resisting the urge to allow the frustration to beam upon her face. "Why did..." before Sarah could continue her statement, she looked at the princess. She reasserted her question, "Are we in the Labyrinth? I don't remember this place."  
  
Lorna only snickered and replied, "Of course not. Jareth would suspect too much if we move onward so soon. You're in my kingdom...the Kingdom of the Fae. Tonight you will dine and rest at my castle before heading for Jareth's Labyrinth."  
  
"Oh," Sarah said, looking around herself once again. "It's just so lovely..."  
  
"I know," Lorna declared defiantly, cocking her head to the side and placing her left hand on her hip. "No matter how ravishing this land may be, there dwell many spiteful creatures. Hence, sprites, mischievous elves, and forlorn faeries. With great beauty resides great travesty. If you would please now follow me. I will lead you to an encampment just ahead where my knights rest. They shall escort us to the castle."  
  
Sarah nodded and followed Lorna's lead through the forest. Both were blinded by there intentions as they did note a goblin hidden within the brush; watching them with great anguish.  
  
"King Jareth will be non-too pleased," it snarled before scampering off towards his king's domain.  
  
~*~  
  
He began to silently scrutinize the little trinket in his hands and reflected on memories made not so long ago. "Sarah..." whispered Hoggle as he slipped on the present, the bracelet, she had given him for his aid. Instead of a token, a prize for his help, he considered it as a memento of their friendship - a sort of tangible evidence reinforcing his intangible memories.  
  
"Don't tell me you're thinking of the girl," came a voice suddenly, without cue.  
  
Hoggle gulped as he recognized the voice - Jareth. He slowly turned himself around with his stubby, tiny legs to face his king. A wistful look gleamed upon his face as he glanced up at Jareth, his taller complete opposite.  
  
The Goblin King stood over him, glaring at the dwarf with his narrowing mismatched eyes. He wore a pair of gray tights and a white ruffled shirt that was opened at the chest to reveal the pendant placed about his neck. Hoggle was a bit taller than the black boots Jareth wore to his knees. His odd, wild blonde hair moved as he cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms, awaiting his response.  
  
"I'm not thinking about Sarah," uttered Hoggle as he picked up his squirt device and began to shoot down faeries from outside the Labyrinth walls.  
  
"Now, now Hog-Brain...I seen you gleaming with the most idiotic expression at that plastic thing," Jareth chuckled in an arrogant tone.  
  
"What business is if of yours?" the dwarf asked as he squirted down another faerie.  
  
"Oh, aren't we frisky today? It is my business if it distracts you from getting rid of Lorna's pesky little insects that keep fluttering about my Labyrinth," the Goblin King snarled with coldness. "You betrayed me when you helped the girl...I could send you to the Bog of Eternal Stench..."  
  
"No, majesty, no!" Hoggle plead almost breaking down and groveling.  
  
"Shut up!" his king snapped. "Such a pity. What a pity it would be if you did not obey my commands, Hogwarth."  
  
"Hoggle!" he shouted, correcting Jareth.  
  
Jareth gave him an evil look and replied, "Whatever - you talk like it matters. I'll be keeping an eye on you. If and when you do something that I do not like, to the bog you shall go!"  
  
With that, he laughed audaciously and waved a gloved finger - he then disappeared. Hoggle sighted and grimaced the thought of being sent to the Bog of Eternal Stench. He had better concentrate on getting rid of these faeries, and not divert his attention on Sarah. She would only think of this place as a dream, and Hoggle himself as a figment of her imagination that would die as time passed by. He would never see her again, more than likely, so he decided to direct his attentions to his own well being. But, he still couldn't help but waver his thoughts to her...his one and only true friend. The first one he ever really had...  
  
~*~  
  
As soon as Jareth appeared in his dimly lit throne room, his attention was quickly thwarted to his sleepy goblins laying aimlessly and snoring comfortably on the floor. He rolled his eyes and shouted, "Get up!" All of them seemed to jump upright at once, for fear of the bog or the oubliette. Jareth only sneered and retorted, "I'm heading for my chambers. Do something useful. Bother that Princess Lorna or steal children...I don't care. Just don't annoy me with your complete ignorance."  
  
His goblins look about themselves curiously. Their king then shouted, "Well..." then arched an eyebrow. They begin to laugh as if on indication, bringing annoyance into his expression. "Do not laugh you morons! Ah! I'm surrounded by idiots."  
  
Jareth sighed before opening the huge door to his bedchambers, closing it blanking behind him. He then walked over to his bed and sat on the corner, forming a small crystal in his hand. Inside the small transparent ball was an image of Sarah's room. A smirk played about his thin lips as he remarked, "I will find your weakness..."  
  
Her form was not to be seen. He then tilted the ball with a wave of his gloved hand, and an image of the now darkening park was seen. She was not there reciting stories in costume either. Jareth frowned. "Where is she? I seen her earlier today..."  
  
Just then he heard a knock on his chamber door, echoing throughout his dreary room. "Go away!" he snapped, tilting the shimmering crystal once more, examining it with narrow eyes.  
  
"But...it's about the girl!" came a voice from behind the door.  
  
Jareth then snarled, "What about her you mor..."  
  
"She's back! The girl's back in the Underground...and she's with the Faerie Princess, Lorna!"  
  
"WHAT?!?" he shouted in disbelief as he allowed the crystal to fall and roll across the floor...  
  
It reached the end of its small journey as it hit the side of the wall. Inside, through the gossamer sphere, stood a vague image of Sarah and a faerie woman beside her. 


	4. Chapter 4: Faerie's Abode

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
Faerie's Abode  
  
Sarah had followed Lorna through the enchanting forest to the encampment just as the night was about to cast its blanket of darkness over the Underground. She never had seen it under it darkened hours, and a slight chill tingled at her body emitting from her very core. The Faerie Princess seemed to sense Sarah's inner troubles and walked by her side as they followed her knights through the luminous forest.  
  
Sarah gazed out before at the slender yet powerful knights. There were about six of them, all wearing untarnished polished silver armour, which reflected the light from the fire bestowed upon the tops of the torches they carried. A small, golden glitter glow encased them all as they ventured further - Sarah felt her body growing warm and it was apparent by the pinkness tinting her cheeks.  
  
"What's wrong?" The Faerie Princess asked in a whisper abruptly. Her green eyes seemed to grow more vivid in color from the donning of night, and the glitter from her eyelids and cheekbones in the golden firelight.  
  
Sarah blinked for a moment and replied, "I'm feeling faint..."  
  
Lorna snapped her fingers and signaled for one of the knights to come to them. The other five walked on in their positions, still protecting their princess as she followed amongst them with her young guest.  
  
"Galwen," Lorna muttered as she set her green fiery gaze on the elfin knight. He was about Sarah's height, if not a little taller, with thick wavy sandy locks that draped barely to his shoulders. The lines of his form was muffle and muted slightly by the minor bulk of his armour, however it was apparent that he was of slim but sturdy build. His youth shone in the reflection of his crisp, sea blue eyes.  
  
His glance wavered over to Sarah, who was holding her head and walking with small tedious steps. Galwen then peered at Lorna, who gave him a look of coldness and detestation. He only gulped a slight bit, knowing all too well of her power, and responded, "Yes, your highness..." His voice was calm and smooth.  
  
Lorna replied while arching a blonde-red brow, "It seems as if Sarah is having a negative reaction to the wondrous magick in this forest. If you would..."  
  
A sharp pain, like a heated dagger, seemed to pierce through Sarah's skull. She became incoherent of her surroundings as she felt her legs folding from under her. There was not a hard thud, as she might have expected to encounter as she fell...but, instead, she felt a pair of strong arms surrounding her. It gave her a small sense of comfort as she gave in to the darkness...  
  
~*~  
  
"This cannot be! Move!" shouted the Goblin King as he stormed into his throne room.  
  
His mismatched eyes were marked with intense fury. He proceeded to kick a goblin into the wall, as a cold grimace seemed to paint his facial expression. Jareth approached his small balcony, overlooking his Labyrinth and the Goblin City. His platinum blonde hair wisped slightly as a chilled breeze passed by. He formed a crystal ball in his hand and turned it about so he may see the image within.  
  
"Ah, so there you are," Jareth sneered.  
  
He tossed the crystal aside and disappeared. The goblins gasp as they watch a white owl fly off into the darkness of the impending night.  
  
It soared over the twists and turns of the Labyrinth, over to the mystique forest just a few miles by its side. At the other end loomed a magnificent silver castle on top of a small mountain. It looked harmless and inviting, as a slight glowing light surrounded it as if protection from the night sky.  
  
The owl flapped its white, feathery wings violently against the air as it gazed down to the mystical forest below. It spotted torches and small flames of fire; and flew on in downward for a closer inspection.  
  
It crept silently just about the treetops, trying not to disturb the natural order in the magick field encircling the atmosphere. It glanced down once, to see a small troop of knights escorting a fair-haired faerie woman, who held herself in regal regard. Another girl, a brunette, appeared to be sleeping in one of the knight's arms.  
  
The owl's eyes narrowed as it flew onward towards the castle.  
  
~*~  
  
She awoke to the most painful headache imaginable throbbing deep within her head. She blinked once, then twice, trying to make sense of where she was and the clearness of her surroundings. Her vision was a bit hazy even still after all the blinks, and closed her hazel eyes once more. She had hoped in doing so that it would help alleviate the pain. But, it didn't, and she cringed as it continued to pulsate about her eyebrows. "Where am I?" she asked herself.  
  
She couldn't recall what was going on...all she knew was she was laying down amid silken sheets upon a vast, soft mattress. The smell of jasmine tingled at her nostrils, increasing the throb of her head. She groaned and tried to roll to her side but found herself too weak to do so.  
  
"Sarah...Sarah..."  
  
She heard her name being whispered, although she thought it might be a dream. It was almost hypnotic. "Sarah..."  
  
It called to her again, a little more clearly now than before. It... that voice seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't match it to any face.  
  
"Who's there?" Sarah managed to whisper before another wave of pain bit her, leaving a gasp to brush past her lips.  
  
"Sarah..." it only answered. It was close to her...she could feel it.  
  
She opened her eyes slightly to see a slim figure emerge from the many shadows of the room. Her vision was still a bit fuzzy, but she noticed his unusual blonde hair and feathery cape. 


	5. Chapter 5: Painful Dreams

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 5:  
  
Painful Dreams  
  
She only looked at him once before releasing a small breath, closing her eyes yet again. Jareth stood over the bed in which she laid, right above her weak and frail body, examining her condition with a brown and blue eye.  
  
"Sarah..." he called to her again. "Can you hear me?"  
  
She did not respond and he frowned. "What a pity," he murmured looking away from her towards the fire at the mantle.  
  
Jareth had snuck into this room after Lorna's troops left. They placed her on the bed and he had came in silently through the window. This was one of the Fae Castle's best quarters; it was spacious and decorated elegantly with silver spun tapestries and rare furnishings. Even a marble fire place donned at the other end breathing the only light in the room. A sense of peace blanketed the room, but a certain chill struck Jareth. It may be lovely, but there was just something about it...like invisible 'evil' lurking in the shadows, stalking souls unexpectently.  
  
Jareth shuttered - something he rarely, if ever, done so. He looked down at Sarah, his fixed stare hard and his lips twisted in disgust. She moved a bit and whimpered, ruffling the sheets as she struggled with the pain beating within her skull. The flame's glow danced about the walls, and her face. He could see the pain within the harmony of light and shadows cringed upon her brow.  
  
Jareth frowned for a moment and yearned for only a split second to sweep her into the safety of his arms. He instantly dismissed what he thought to be a moment of weakness on his part.  
  
"Why are you here, with that Lorna? Of all the creatures in the universe," Jareth pondered aloud as he watched her form as it mixed with the silken sheets. Her eyes fluttered open for an instantaneous moment, but closed just as quickly.  
  
"Do you even hear me dear girl?" he asked with a twist of his face. His white eye make-up glowed in the pale light.  
  
She did not answer, nor did she acknowledge his question with any movement what-so-ever. Sarah only laid there, her chocolate colored hair scattered about array on the pillow, with a furrowed brow - breathing quite heavily.  
  
Jareth gave a mean "Hmph," and began to turn heel, walking away from her towards the opened window. He then paused for a moment, his hand resting on the pane. He seemed to look out at the darkened world before him intently but his glare deceived him. He looked over his shoulder to the girl resting in the over-sized bed, uttering, "I can't live within you..."  
  
With that and a sudden flow of the curtains, the Goblin King was gone - an owl replaced his humanoid form and flew within the depths of the ocean of stars that swam in the night sky.  
  
~*~  
  
Sarah's head was spinning out of control - her thoughts were mangled and devious. Her mind was traitorous, clouding her senses and numbing her body.  
  
She felt herself slip out of consciousness once more...a veil of darkness flowed around her. The pain hit her once more, more feral than before. Sarah knew she was loosing herself as the wave of darkness enveloped around her like a warm rush of water.  
  
"Everything's Dancing..."  
  
Everything seemed to spin...until she stood in a room full of unusual people. Sarah looked down and noticed an elegant ballroom dress - it seemed oddly familiar. Her deep brown hair was curled and was graced by matching ribbons.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked silently to herself as she scanned the room with her hazel eyes.  
  
She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew she was searching for something...or someone. She eyed the sea of people wearing illusional masks with an almost yearning distant look.  
  
Where was she just moments ago? She could not remember. She felt an odd sense of deja vu.  
  
She walked out slowly into the the group of dancing couples - this seemed like a dream, almost...but, quite real as well. She looked around out to the strange people wearing masks. Pearls and ribbons were strung up high, and Sarah felt herself growing even more confused.  
  
She continued to look out upon the masked ballroom dancers in their elegant and unique attire. She was searching for something, but she didn't know who or what. At this moment her whole life felt like a dream... Sarah spotted a man among the mingling crowd, dressed strangely and darkly at the other end of the room. He beings to remove his odd, gothic mask to reveal his face...full of heartfelt pain, it seemed. His hair was quite fair, wildly arranged and his eyes were heavily highlighted with liner and shimmery shadow.  
  
Sarah stopped for a moment - this man seemed too oddly familiar to just ignore. A slight curl, almost but not quite a smile was at his lips. Was he mocking her, or relieved to see her?  
  
"There's such a sad love  
  
deep in your eyes...  
  
a kind of pale jewel  
  
open and closed  
  
within your eyes  
  
I'll place the sky -  
  
Within your eyes..."  
  
He looked upon her; Sarah could feel the pressure of his glance looking straight into her hazel eys. Her view was suddenly broken and when she went to look at him again, he was gone. "What kind of game is this? How am I to possibly find you among these people?" she asked herself, trying to catch another glimpse of him.  
  
She begun to walk around, searching again and the people seemed to be laughing at her. The man danced indiscreetly out of her view, watching her stumble about the crowd like a helpless animal.  
  
"There's such a fooled heart,  
  
beating so fast,  
  
in search of new dreams,  
  
a love that will last,  
  
within your heart -  
  
I'll place the moon within your heart..."  
  
Sarah continued to walk, almost rushing aimlessly in the midst of dancing people, bumping into a few. She was searching...looking out desperately for a haven, an end to this confusing madness!  
  
Consumed with the urge of finding the missing pieces and the man she thought could help - she passed him blindedly, as he sheilded himself, his face with a fan. He only smiled mischievously as she moved by him.  
  
"And as the pain sweeps through,  
  
makes no sense for you,  
  
every thrill is gone,  
  
wasn't much fun at all...  
  
But I'll be there for you-u-u,  
  
As the world falls down...  
  
Falling...  
  
-As the world-  
  
Falling...  
  
Falling...  
  
Falling in Love."  
  
He watched her looking out around her, so he decided to follow. He snubbed a woman as he traced Sarah's footsteps. A few moments pass and he's had enough of playing cat and mouse, watching her being humiliated by the fellow dancers.  
  
Jareth finally revealed himself to her from behind a feather by another female dancer. Their eyes lock and a single moment of longing is shared, being fulfilled as he slowly approached her. He gently pulled her into his arms for a dance. Sarah followed his lead; it felt right, and he reassured her with his eyes.  
  
"I'll paint you mornings of gold,  
  
I'll spin you Valentine eveings,  
  
Though were strangers till now...  
  
We're choosing our path between the stars,  
  
I'll lay my love between the stars.  
  
As the pain sweeps through  
  
makes no sense for you,  
  
every thrill is gone,  
  
wasn't too much fun at all...  
  
But I'll be there for you-u-u...  
  
As the world falls downnnn...  
  
Falling...  
  
Falling...  
  
Falling..."  
  
He led her around with uch graceful moves, never taking his hands from hers...never taking his eyes from hers... The other dancers are there, but the room seems empty for them.  
  
He kept her in the strong safety of his arms, and her eyes finally lifted...she started to look around, noticing the dancers once more. They seem to be watching them full of complete wonderment and attention.  
  
"Falling...  
  
Falling..."  
  
She looked upon him once more, feeling even more confused. He was not the one she was searching for, but he seemed as he was searching for her.  
  
She then, as if on instinct, glanced upon the golden clock striking the twelve hour. Sarah returned her view to Jareth and pulled herself forcefully away. She left him watching her sadly bump through the crowd in her wake. "Falling...  
  
Falling...  
  
Falling in Love."  
  
He watched her sadly -as if he was indeed falling in love- as she ran up to her magnified reflection on the wall at the end of the room. She picked up a white chair and begun to swing it into her image when one of the ballroom dancers appears in front of her.  
  
It was a petite woman with wild strawberry blonde hair, her face hidden with a white and green shimmery mask.  
  
"I have to save Toby!" Sarah shouted at the woman blocking her from being freed. "Move, if you would...please!" Her voice was desperate.  
  
The woman let out a high-pitched laugh. "What's so funny?" Sarah asked, tears beginning to brew at her eyes.  
  
With a wave of the woman's hand, the room darkened slightly and the crowd disappeared. Only the man with whom she danced with, Jareth, stood amid the dim lights.  
  
He stared out to the women just a few feet before him, but spoke not a word. Sarah glanced at him, then back to the woman.  
  
"Who are you?" Sarah asked with concern.  
  
The woman did not speak, but only responded with a tilt of her head. She removed her mask to reveal vivid green eyes and a white, porcelian face. A pair of pointed ears poked out through the strands of her hair, and her lips were full, the colour of lilacs.  
  
Sarah gasped and was taken aback. "Lorna?" she whispered in disbelief.  
  
"Lorna," Jareth said, not sounding surprised at all. Anger tinted his tone and frustration beamed upon his face.  
  
"Jareth..." Lorna replied smirking. "Don't be sad just because you have no power over her...your precious thing, indeed, however, has power over you."  
  
Jareth looked upon Lorna as she approached him, placing her hand on his cheek. She whispered, "Just as I did before..." before putting her kiss lightly on his lips. He looked purely disgusted, and she smiled wickedly.  
  
Sarah brought up the chair once more, shattering her image...breaking down the room around, removing Jareth and Lorna from her sight.  
  
She began to fall once more...until she awoke in a deep, cold sweat in the room. She screamed and began to flip over the sheets.  
  
She knew now she had passed out from a terrible headache in the forest, and was laid here in the fae quarters to rest. The throbbing in her head ceased to beat...why was Lorna in her dream? Was it all just delusional?  
  
"Oh no," Sarah cried to herself and the heavy chamber door began to open.  
  
A figure then entered and made its way over to her bed from within the shadows. Sarah scooted back and whispered questionably, "Jareth...?"  
  
"No...," whispered the figure, as his facial features became more distant in the fire-light. His blue eyes were gentle and his elfin ears poked through the wet waves of his hair.  
  
"Galwen...Lorna assigned me to watch over you. I heard a scream...are you okay?" he asked softly. "Yeah...yeah...," Sarah huffed, shaking and trembling.  
  
"What's wrong? You seem startled," Galwen asked as he sat on the side of the bed.  
  
Sarah only shook her head and replied, "It was only a dream."  
  
Galwen seemed to know she needed the comfort - he had pulled her into his arms, soothing her nerves. As her head laid against his strong, lean chest, she could not help but waver her thoughts to a pair of mismatched eyes...the way they fixed upon her as they danced... 


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 6:  
  
~Revelations~  
  
The goblin king stared down tot he city that encircled his castle with great contemplation. "Sarah," he thought aloud, twisting his narrow nose slightly.  
  
"What would she be doing here and with that Lorna of all the creatures in the Underground?" The question ran through his mind like a parasitic plague. It ran rapidly and ravished, reveling at the consumption of his thoughts with a great profoundness. He allowed his mind to drift to her form, lying before him... seemingly unaware of his presence. She was there, only a single touch away, but she felt so distant.  
  
His psyche betrayed him, his judgment almost running astray. A smug look donned the face of the Goblin King as he retorted, "Why should her presence even bother me?"  
  
His gaze then drifted down to the city below just as dawn was about to break, yawning over the horizon. His eyes were blank, hinting a bit of sorrow and regret as his face softened. Thinking of Sarah weakened him, even if he didn't admit it. Recalling the sparkle in her hazel eyes and the defiance and independence in her voice, Jareth could only succumb to them like a helpless animal. He loathed what this girl did to him.  
  
"My dear king, do not tell me you allow mad thoughts to enter you mind," said an ostensibly sweet voice from behind, striking the air with a certain frosty allure.  
  
Jareth turned, his facial features transforming into a look of complete disgust.  
  
"Lorna!" he exclaimed as he glared at his unwanted visitor.  
  
Standing before him, the woman flashed a rather quirky, toothy smile. Her wavy blonde-red hair was pulled up into a diamond and agate crown; her locks flowed silently and gently over her shoulders like a peaceful waterfall down to the small of her back. Her form was flawlessly adorned in a white chiffon dress, holding on tightly to her every slim curve, yet leaving plenty for the imagination.  
  
Princess Lorna dared to approach Jareth with two carefully planned steps, allowing the iridescence in her attire to shimmer in the impending dawn light. Smirking a bit, she rasped, "Don't give me that look, Jareth. You should be elated to see me."  
  
"Elated is not the word I would use to describe what I feel at this moment," he snapped loosely in his thick accented tone.  
  
She only smiled briefly, placing her hand on the flatness of her stomach and curving it to the soft roundness of her narrow hip. Lorna's eyes grew afire with green blaze. "Now, now Jareth. You are the Goblin King. I know that you're not easily elated, but my presence has often elated the souls of many meager...pitiful and meaningless, lonely men. Yourself included."  
  
Jareth couldn't help but laugh aloud, allowing his deep reaction to penetrate throughout his throne chamber. A few goblins awakened, and proceeded to scatter behind overly large objects. They knew that laugh. Their reaction to it was more than enough to warn the lovely Princess of his mood. She seemed to ignore it, though, as the light of a birthing day escaped to the paleness of her delicate features. Lorna did not seem a bit phased. Actually, she seemed to be enjoying her taunting.  
  
He strode over to her and looked at her flatly in the eyes. "Daring me again as usual, eh? I don't know what you have planned to do with her, Lorna, but be rest assured whatever you have conceived... against me, anyway... it won't work. I don't care what you do to the girl..."  
  
Jareth winced slightly. Lorna didn't seem to notice his momentarily lapse and falter. Instead, she ran her hand up his arm and smiled impishly.  
  
"Don't worry. I have nothing 'planned' to hurt you... I could never hurt you...," Lorna whispered while looking hungrily at his lips. She licked her cupid's bow in anticipation. He wasn't moving, and neither was she.  
  
She placed her hand between his shoulder blades and kneaded his skin with her fingernails through the fabrics of his attire. Jareth closed his eyes as he remembered her scent; it was a memory that appeared and lingered so long ago that its intoxication was forgotten with the delves of time. Her other hand reached to the back of his neck and into the strands of white hair flowing through her slim fingers. She whispered, "Remember me, Jareth. Lorna Thomas..."  
  
Standing on the tips of her toes, she molded her lips over his, pulling him into a passionate, sensual kiss. She poured her warmth into him, growing limp as he placed his hands on her back. Jareth moved his mouth to match her fierce hunger for him. Slowly, her hands graced up to either side of his face as she nudged her firm breasts against his ribcage... Deepening still, her hunger ignited to an extreme intensity. Practically raping his mouth with her tongue, he pushed her away as if he gained his coherency back. She fell to the floor onto her rump, hissing a bit at his dismissal of her.  
  
Looking up at him angrily, she shouted, "You... you mediocre fool! What have you done?!?"  
  
Jareth folded his arms and smirked. "Your glamour is treachery woman. You cannot fool me..."  
  
She darted to her feet like a feral she-beast, brushing off the dust from her scanty dress. Gleaming at him vindictively, she shouted once more, "Fool! It was never the glamour before... You were the one that gave it to me! Now, you cast me aside like I'm nothing but trash!"  
  
"You wished for it," was all he said as he turned away.  
  
Lorna felt like pouncing on him and scratching out his eyes with her talon- like fingernails. Repressing those thoughts, though, she figured that she would get him eventually as she composed herself. Softly but hotly, she replied once more, "You know, all your life you have been kidnapping children and dictating the courses of their lives with dreams and surreal wishes. The chain of your sadistic actions will stop with this girl, Jareth. I promise you, if it is with my last breath, I will see you destroyed forever by Sarah's defiant will. What you did to me will never transcend to another innocent soul..."  
  
"Innocent souls can never be tainted, dear Lorna. What a pity. You should never know... If greed dwells within the souls I capture, then they deserve the hellish dreams I can bring," he replied casually as he arched a brow and turned back at her. "They deserve to become goblins with their selfish intentions."  
  
Lorna shook her head as her face turned a blistery red. "Your intentions with Sarah were different. You could see her... See HER! You lusted for her. What does that make you? Huh!"  
  
Storming over to him, Lorna brought up her hand but he caught her wrist before she could connect with her intended cheek-stinging slap. Struggling a bit, she shouted with tears streaming down her face, "HUH?! What does that make YOU?! Answer me! Answer me now, Jareth! It was your OWN selfish intentions! You deserve hell! You deserve to pay horribly for what you put me through... you selfish basta..."  
  
"You chose your fate, Lorna, when you accepted your dreams... To become a Faerie Princess. Now, since you have it, you regret it. You regretted accepting avarice over the true beauty of realism. It is not my fault... only your own," Jareth interrupted sharply as he squeezed her wrist.  
  
His fingers then squeezed together as golden dust sprinkled through them. Her humanoid form dissipated into a streak of light that fluttered swiftly out to the balcony. He watched it with narrow eyes as it streaked over his goblin city.  
  
~*~  
  
Galwen had been so kind in retrieving Sarah an early morn breakfast to help chase haunting dreams and memories away. He watched her with sea-blue eyes as she took bites of her meal with a sticky fork.  
  
"You've never been to the Faerie Kingdom have you?" he asked bluntly as he took a seat beside her on the bed.  
  
Running her hands through her tousled hair, Sarah smirked as she swallowed a bite of food. Replying faintly, her voice was coated in exhaustion, "No... only the Labyrinth."  
  
"Oh," was all he said as he nodded in acceptance of her answer. "Well, we were ruled by a king several decades ago until Lorna came. He died shortly after. Lorna was supposedly his lost daughter. I've always wondered why he never mentioned of such to us. Especially to me, his own son."  
  
Sarah looked up to him brightly, an intangible expression of surprise flashing across her lips. "Son... You mean... you're..."  
  
Galwen stood and smiled, resting his hand on a sheathed sword hanging gently at his hip. "Yes," he replied casually. "Supposedly, Lorna's my sister, an eldest sibling who took command of the Fae Kingdom after my father's death. That would make me a Prince..."  
  
She watched his face turn somber when suddenly the chamber doors swing open. Lorna then stood before them, storming into the room with an intense fire in her vividly colored eyes.  
  
"Galwen," she plead with urgency in her voice. "Galwen, Jareth is on to us. We have to move quickly before he gains the preemptive."  
  
He nodded and quickly left the room. Turning to Sarah, Lorna replied, "Come with me, Sarah. We need to make plans..." 


	7. Chapter 7: The Labyrinth and its Past

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 7:  
  
The Labyrinth and its Past  
  
The sky streaked with interweaving colors of red and orange. Sarah sniffed the pungently masked air as they crossed the last lavishly green mound of grass, advancing to the outer limits of the labyrinth. It rounded its self down to the outer walls. Lorna was ahead with two of her knights, followed by Galwen who was clad in the same armour Sarah had seen in him in all the instances she had encountered him.  
  
Lorna, asserting the elfin men with her firm and sturdy voice, was dressed a bit differently. The fairy's long, beautiful red-gold hair was pulled back into braids and an unruly ponytail. It glimmered with glitter that caught certain light as she moved her head, her wildly painted emerald eyes scanning the area around. A silvery, metallic breast plate draped over a form fitting blackish green corset, bounding her swollen breasts and heaving them up to expose her ample cleavage. She also wore an armourish pair of shorts and matching thigh high boots along with lime green tights. A beaded half cape attached at the small of her back and around her waist, reaching its full length at the back of her ankles. It was sort of feathery and flowing like a mermaid's fins, flaring open at the front revealing her lithe legs. The woman, dressed this way, reminded Sarah of a warrior gypsy she had once read about.  
  
The Princess looked back at Sarah with a wayward grin. "So, how did you manage to get in here before?" Shaking her head, Sarah looked to her then to the landscape painted around them. "I... I had help," she retorted a little sheepishly.  
  
Lorna arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Really! From whom, may I ask?"  
  
"Hoggle," Sarah stated wryly.  
  
Smirking, the Princess patted one of her knights on the shoulder and nodded for him to advance a stake out. "Remember what I told you. You be careful you make friends with, especially in a place like this."  
  
Hoggle wasn't to be seen anywhere...anyway.  
  
Nodding, Sarah looked out to Galwen. He was looking at her, but as soon as she turned to him, his cool stare retreated back to the labyrinth walls. Clearing his thought, his index finger idly flowed to his temple. One of the knights approached him and whispered something inaudibly. Shaking his head, Lorna accosted them with a deviant glint in her eyes. A smoldering smile began to play at the fullness of her rich, pouty lips.  
  
"So?" she asked a little vehemently.  
  
"Looks clear," was all Galwen said as he walked away, glancing over to Sarah. He ran his fingers over the grimy walls, watching silently as Lorna's faeries flicker and spit.  
  
"Just ask."  
  
Lorna turned as she heard Sarah's voice. "Excuse me?"  
  
"All you have to do is ask," Sarah repeated as she approached them. "I just asked Hoggle a way inside, of the Labyrinth I mean, and the doors opened. I didn't think it to be so simple, but it was."  
  
Narrowing her eyes, Lorna's face flushed with bewilderment. "Oh, okay..." Rotating to the doors, the golden haired woman spoke firmly, almost sardonically. "Open... please, doors..."  
  
She looked scathingly over to Galwen as a faint snicker escaped his throat. All eyes then fell to the Labyrinth's doors as they parted, exposing the meek and vine-eaten walls within. The corridors of the maze were somber in color, wrapped in brittle twines and smoky edges, glistening against the growling sky. Lorna made the first attempt in confronting the situation, followed by a group of tiny fairies blustering and fighting to escape inside. Surveying the contents briefly, she dared not enter. Looking back to the knights, she called out to Galwen to do her dirty deeds.  
  
"Galwen..." she smirked. "Brother, would you be so kind in making sure everything's clear for our arrival? I would hate to walk in on one of Jareth's little planned traps..." She turned to Sarah and muttered, "I've heard things about that Oubliette of his."  
  
Sarah nodded faintly before turning her attention back to Galwen, who was readying his holstered sword and edging his way on in. The toe of his silvery boot was marred in the damp soil as he entered cautiously, looking to his left and then his right. Each side of him seemingly contained a lengthy journey, equal in never-ending paths. Blinking, the trails seemed to taper off with the horizon of the sky. He wondered how far they would actually have to venture before turning to the company, signaling them of no immediate danger.  
  
Lorna stepped up first, brushing her hand against the wall and quickly pulling it away. A string of slime attached its self to her fingers, connecting her hand to the wall. She squealed in displeasure, twisting her face in disgust. "Eww! Jareth really knows how to decorate. Gag!" the Princess exclaimed as one of the knights severed the ooze from the wall. She wiped her hands on his chest.  
  
Galwen watched his sister's snotty remark and just shook his head before casting a quick glimpse back to Sarah.  
  
~*~  
  
Flashback... Tears smeared Lorna's mascara as she watched the Goblin King move in triumph before her. His face was cast in a serious but pleasurable manner; his thin lips twisted in a cynical smirk. She thought, at that moment, of how misanthropic he was. He had tortured her when he took her brother and made her complete his labyrinth just under thirteen hours.  
  
At the last moment, as she held her toddler brother in her arms, Jareth made one final proposal. There was a satirical sparkle to his hawk-like mismatched eyes. In his hand, a transparent crystal took shape. He rolled it about his fingers and the back of his hand, wishing to tempt her with her dreams of becoming a princess... A Princess of Fae. An image of her materialized within the depths of the sphere as it glided over towards her. Lorna became breathless. It showed her encompassed in shards of mystique and glitter, illuminating a beautiful white gown and golden circlet made even lovelier with blossoms and dew laced in it.  
  
"All this could be yours, Lorna. Just give me the child and all your dreams can come true. This will be yours...," Jareth paused and thought a moment. He contemplatively added, "I...could be yours. It would be a shame to throw it all away!"  
  
She looked to the crystal ball and then to him. He knew he had her slain in his trap. She was lovely, he thought. What, with luxurious and wild red- gold hair strengthened by the sharp, foaming sea of her green eyes. Lorna Thomas Petrivna was certainly a memorable vision of a Goddess, but he had no interest in her really. He sought the avarice in his conquest in roguish souls. To add to his entourage of goblin minions and Underground foils. It was the only thing that kept him sane in this solo, secluded existence.  
  
"I don't...I don't want Galwen to be turned into a goblin. His welfare means more to me than any dreams you can conceive and whisk in front of me!" Lorna declared hotly.  
  
Jareth just floated on air over to her, taking a strand of her golden hair and playing with it, rolling it against his fingertips. "Lorna, dear, dear Lorna. If that is the only thing that troubles you, then include him in your dreams as well. He can still remain close to you...," he replied huskily, gazing deeply and becoming lost in the forbidden abyss in her emerald eyes. "He can become the princely brother you need by your side. To rule when you marry me..."  
  
Her heart soared. Lorna loathed him for putting her through this. For 'kidnapping' her brother. For threatening her with torrid traps and dangerous liaisons. Yet, there was something about him that she couldn't exactly place her finger on. She couldn't tell if it was the way he moved, or his eccentric attire and hair, or his uneven blue and brown eye. Secretly, she was partial to his tights. It moved her in more ways than she could even fathom. Real life had been cruel to her. Both her and her brother were confined in an orphanage after her parents died in Poland. They were lucky enough to survive the concentration camps in one piece. Their bodies stung with disease and hunger, and she felt this was the only way out... Out of a miserable existence. Out of pain its self.  
  
Nodding, she replied finally much to his hidden excitement. "All right. I want my dreams to come true. I desire my life of poverty and plague no more..." Lorna felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders as she sighed a breath of relief. It was the only way out, she thought, and the only way to have a glorious existence. With one snap of his fingers, Jareth laughed heinously as her world fell down to her feet and washed away into a bubbling oblivion. Things, however, did not go as she expected... She was slighted when she found Jareth had no interest in her. He had deceived her in that respect. Not only that, but now she was confined in a never-ending subsistence. It was worse than death and she regretted trapping her brother in her transgressions. Her greed and lust for life turned into one of horror.  
  
~*~  
  
Present...  
  
Before they knew it, the assembly of Fae Knights combined with their Princess and the presence of drama queen Sarah, had made it virtually unscathed to the center of the Labyrinth. Sarah looked around as they took a brief stop to catch their breaths and to rest aching muscles. Stretching a bit, the ground underneath her disappeared.  
  
Screaming, she fell... Fell downwards to the darkness below, the others following in her tumble as the tiles disappeared. 


	8. Chapter 8: The Oubliette

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 8:  
  
The Oubliette  
  
Sarah's eyes tried to focus with the darkness that encircled around them. She couldn't see or hear anything, but her nose was working on hyper drive when a quick whiff of something putrid pasted her flaring nostrils. Coughing a bit, she stumbled aimlessly and blindly until she felt the cold, stone surface of a wall.  
  
"Lorna, Galwen," she whispered questionably, hoping to hear a positive response.  
  
There was, however, no answer. Her inquisitive concerns were only met by silence. Worry found its way into her being, crossing paths and settling throughout her. Suddenly, she could see luminosity warming the darkness into light, cascading a fire-like glow over her surroundings. Hope finally rose within, but something told Sarah to be cautious. Squinting, she could see a form silhouetted against the shadows, but she couldn't tell who it was.  
  
"Lorna, Galwen... Is that you?" she huskily asked.  
  
Whoever it was replied with a growling, gut turning shout. It was a warning. A series of torches began to catch aflame around her, much to Sarah's dismay. A sense of panic then washed over the young woman's body. She didn't recognize the person or image that had forcefully shouted with such a deep and bone-chilling tone. Whoever it was they were coming at her fast, though, wielding a shimmering sword. The untarnished blade caught the light of the torches, allowing it to dance and gleam in the subtlety of the darkened tunnel. Turning toe quickly, Sarah nearly barged over a series of skipped rocks protruding from the dirt that varnished her delicate feet. She balanced herself against the wall and continued her sprinting, looking over her shoulder to keep tabs on the man's advancing pace. He was fast! She didn't know how much longer she could run; her lithe legs started to falter in the pressure. Not a natural runner, and feeling as weak as it was, she realized the absence of her Underground friends. Scowling, she began to think as he shouted out once more...  
  
"Come back here, woman!"  
  
"No... Lorna, Galwen... Hoggle! Where are you!" she muttered excitedly under short-breathed panting. Unexpectedly, a blustery wind cooled at the tapering tips of the flames bestowed at the mouth of the torches, casting an unwelcoming somber chilling draft down the tunnel. Looking back, her hazel eyes narrowed as she watched the man stumble then fall flat on his face, his sword skidding in a wave of dirt. He was rendered unconscious...  
  
Someone then touched her arms tenderly, begging for her attention. Sarah had half-expected to see Jareth's face gleaming with arrogance behind her as she spun around... She was, however, surprised to this friend instead.  
  
"Hoggle!" she exclaimed happily, with a still uneasiness accenting her tone. Sarah was happy to see the dwarf, but her glances slowly wavered to the fallen threat. "Did...did you do that?" she asked a little hypnotically.  
  
"Sarah!" he shouted and shook his head. It was then, the wavy haired knight appeared in their sights. He walked out of a shrouded corner, his bottom lip busted from what Sarah gathered was a result of the fall. His crisp, piercing eyes were shaded against the torches as he looked at her and her smaller friend. Galwen, while running his hands in his shoulder length hair, was stoic as he clarified, "That's one of Jareth's mutated goblin henchmen. We must be in the Oubliette."  
  
The very statement sent chills down Sarah's back. The Oubliette. Looking back to Hoggle, he nodded in confirmation. All the jubilation she had felt for reuniting with her friend vanished into the black abyss that fought against the illuminations of the torches. Galwen strode over them with heavy steps, his armour clicking against their ears. He continued, "They only dwell down under the Labyrinth. Did you not see them before?"  
  
Sarah only shook her head, disassembling her dark hair into waves flowing over her shoulder. Galwen looked serious. Too serious. Looking away for a moment, the elfin man took the sword scooted under the dirt on the ground. Gripping it, he slightly winced at how heavy and solid it was. Examining it even further, he studied the etchings on its handle, which revealed a series of bubbles and a symbol. Sarah came up from behind and looked up to it.  
  
"That's the same symbol Jareth wears around his neck," Hoggle replied, cutting through their concentration. Looking back at the dwarf, the elfin knight replied, "I know. I know. If I remember correctly, Lorna says it gave him his power."  
  
Hoggle shook his head. "Wrong. Your sister is wrong, Prince Galwen." The dwarf looked to Sarah, then to Galwen, before continuing, "It's a symbol of the Goblin King, the ultimate ruler of the Underground. It's a symbol of immortality... Of his continued existence from the being to the end of time."  
  
None of this really mattered to the Prince. "Have you seen Lorna...any of you?"  
  
"No," Hoggle replied sternly. "Jareth's looking for her, though. He knows your coming. Be rest assured I don't want to be here when he does!" He shuddered, regaining that common look of worry on his disfigured face.  
  
"Coward," Galwen simply said as he looked at the thieving man, his gaze shifting over to Sarah again. The fallen goblin began to stir again. Galwen cocked his head upon reflex, extending his arm to shoo the two away. He didn't have to say anything before Hoggle's short legs went to work, running down the tunnel with Sarah getting ready to follow suit. Looking back to the knightly prince, he gave her an almost amorous look. "Go, Sarah. I'll take care of this fiend..."  
  
She nodded a little resolutely; the goblin slowly began to rise and dodge over to her. Galwen hastily intercepted with a spin of the marked sword. The minion blocked it with his over-sized claws. "Go, Sarah! NOW!" he exclaimed beneath hot breaths under the beasts superior pressure.  
  
Nodding, she turned tail and hot footed, following in Hoggle's tracks. She could hear Galwen's battle cry as she distanced herself with fierce, long- width running steps.  
  
The beast's power was unmatchable. It collided its head into Galwen's stomach, heaving and pushing him ferociously into the adjacent wall. It budded his head deeper and deeper still, until the elf was gasping for air, beating on the creature's back with doubled hands. Finally, he was able to bring his knee up to strike it in its midsection, spiraling it to fall on it's knees to the ground. It doubled over in complete anguish, groaning and snarling in pain. Pushing his hair away from cerulean colored eyes, Galwen wielded the sword and knocked the creature unconscious again by blunting the weapon on the back of its head. It stifled then collapsed, breathing one last ounce of torment before giving in to slumber.  
  
~*~  
  
All of this he watched afar, within the confines of a small spherical crystal, turning and studying at his own contentment. Lorna's brother certainly had grown strong and able within his time in this domain. Galwen's stare reminded Jareth of himself, even the way... He hated the way that pathetic human turned elf looked at Sarah. He had done Lorna a favor in never telling Galwen of his true life...that he wasn't born under any king or of the Underground naturally for that matter. He was a human with false memories, falling hopes and inaccessible fate. His face was fixated on a distasteful conversion. He contemplated in eradicating their dreams...and it made him smile.  
  
"It's a pity," he thought to himself.  
  
Sarah had defeated him, and he would be damned if she did it again to spite him for Lorna's twisted, converse gratification. He wouldn't loose this...or her...ever again. Neither Galwen or Lorna will prevent him from his conquests. That included Sarah's... heart...  
  
No! This couldn't be! He didn't have a feelings for a mere fifteen year girl! That was ludicrous in its own right! He loathed her; Sarah had defeated him at his own game. He figured that was the reason why he was so vaguely...minutely attracted to her. He lusted for her strength, that was all and nothing more. Nothing more.  
  
"Nothing more," Jareth said aloud, trying to convince himself. 


	9. Chapter 9: The Battle of Glamour

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
  
Chapter 9: The Battle of Glamour  
  
"What a pity," came a voice mockingly from behind Jareth.  
  
His black and silvery feather-winged cape rippled as he turned; the Goblin King saw Princess Lorna had once again invaded his space. Greeting her with a smirk twisted in admonition, he snapped sharply, his mismatched eyes peering at her presence. "What are you doing here... again? Aren't you planning some sort of revolution against me, dear girl? You keep dropping in! You must really like me."  
  
Lorna smiled almost impishly. Gliding over to his throne she made her self welcome by sitting down. He gave her a look of warning but she simply ignored it, fanning out her beaded attachment skirts and patting out the folds along her crossed legs. Her fingers stroke the armrest as her angelic features twist in deviance. Finally she replied a little huskily, her tongue rolling against her wet lips, "It's not you who I like, Jareth, originally anyway. I have a strange fetish for socks and you know that. Ever since I met you... well, you do have rather the collection..."  
  
Her emerald eyes slither from the repugnant look painted on his face, down to the medallion hanging around his neck, down further still to...  
  
"Lorna! I will send you to the Bog of Eternal Stench," Jareth bellowed hotly.  
  
"Spare me," Lorna interrupted, flipping a strip of hair over her shoulder. "I'm not afraid of you or your stupid Bog."  
  
"You should be," he warned through his teeth.  
  
Lorna only rolled her eyes and released a caustic sigh. "I'm the Faerie Princess and my dreams dictate nothing should ever befall me per your hands, Jareth."  
  
"Oh, is that so," he said arrogantly, cocking an already heightened blonde brow. Chuckling, he retorted with his accented voice, "Then why do you have that...that girl, Sarah, here? You said yourself that you plan to use her in your own pitiful game of power. Like a pawn."  
  
The goblins, again, begin to scatter and delve behind objects. One moronically crossed paths with their King and was met with a swift kick with the tip of a boot. Scowling, it lunged face first behind the throne where Lorna sat so proudly. In the king's hands formed a crystal, then another, then a thrice. Spinning and juggling them in between his fingers, Jareth watched as the Princess sat firmly. Approaching her, closer and closer, they started to flash sparkles off their circular sides. Kneeling before her, the crystal shone and reflected into her green eyes. "Look, Lorna, look at what has come," he strung playfully with the words.  
  
Inside was an image of a restrained Lorna, struggling against straps in a hospital bed. Her hair was greasy and stringy, cut and frizzed. The green of her eyes surrounded fully dilated pupils, reeking of madness; insanity breaking to the point of schizophrenia. A nurse walked in, and the crystalline image of Lorna spat at her while laughing uncontrollably.  
  
'Jareth!' the imagery exclaimed from her lips, 'Jareth loves me! I am a part of the Underground, don't you see?! I'm the Princess of Fairies...!'  
  
'Sure you are,' said the nurse as she injected sedatives into Lorna's arm.  
  
Blinking, Princess Lorna had to pry her eyes away from such intense images displayed in the small ball. Looking up at Jareth with tired and red eyes, she screamed and slapped the crystal out of his hands. It floated up then shattered into infinite pieces, raining down on them. Quickly standing to her feet, she met his eyes with a torrid glare. It was obvious she wasn't happy.  
  
"That's you, Lorna, right now. In that bed. Don't you see, you are dreaming. This is your dream! You have already tainted Sarah by bringing her back here. You have infected her with your mental sickness." Jareth smiled wickedly.  
  
"Shut up!" she shouted, pushing him back as she brushed past him. "I am not insane! All of this is real; you have created this. I am a part of this! That...," Lorna pointed to the two remaining spheres weaving in his hands, "...that's just an illusion. A ploy. An attempt to render me powerless with your mind games. Well, I won't fall for it, you hear me? I won't FALL for it!"  
  
Jareth smiled condescendingly at her before blowing the second crystal over to her. What she saw made her jaw drop...  
  
Dressed in a satin green and black evening gown, and set amid a picturesque backdrop, Lorna saw herself being admired by the gentle rays of the moonlight. The pale glow lustered, allowing her surroundings to glow like white fire. She was on Jareth's out looking balcony, but instead of a spiraling Labyrinth around the Goblin City there was a forest. Within, shining against the sky, was a waterfall that bubbled and foamed as it met the dark pool at the end of its voyage. The soft sway of the willowy trees awakened something inside the girl's spirit. Lorna could not catch her breath.  
  
Jareth, clad handsomely in a pair of shimmering blue tights and a white poet's tunic, approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. Feeling his presence behind her, she reached her hand down to caress his tights. Her right ear tickled against his breaths as he secretly whispered something. Spinning her around gently to face him, Jareth ran his fingers through her smooth golden red tresses; the curls resting in his palms as his hand glided freely. Parting his thin lips, Lorna only closed her eyes as he branded himself on her mouth.  
  
"No!" Lorna screamed, shattering the crystal hovering before her. "You're playing tricks with me, Jareth! You know my desires and you would use them against me! Well, two can play at that game..."  
  
In her own hands the Fae Princess formed a shimmering mass of sporadic glitter and golden textures. Waving them around her body and over her head, her image began to melt into a darker haired form... Sarah's. Her hazel eyes, full of innocence and naivety, wavered over to Jareth who stood unimpressed. It wasn't until she opened her mouth did the Goblin King become spellbound.  
  
"Jareth," she whispered yearningly. Dressed in the same outfit Sarah had ventured through the Labyrinth in, Lorna, in Williams' image, strode over cheerily. "I'm back here for you. Forget Lorna. Forget Toby. Forget everything but me. Hold me. Make love to me. Do what I say and I can be your slave..."  
  
Jareth stood there for a moment, allowing his last crystal to glimmer down and pop on the stone floor. He was bewitched. She smiled tenderly at him, running her hands up into the folds of his shirt onto his bare chest. Fingering the pendant thoughtfully, Lorna looked up to him pleadingly with hypnotic eyes. It was then she laced her arm with his and they made way to his bedchambers...  
  
~*~  
  
Sarah had to catch her breath. She had been trekking with Galwen and Hoggle through this oubliette for what seemed hours. It didn't seem so long or hard before. Hoggle had reminded her that 'things here ain't what they seem' and Jareth's labyrinth changes by the visit. It was horrifying news to a desperate girl.  
  
"Where's Lorna?" Sarah asked as she rested her aching back against the cool, grimy wall.  
  
"I don't know," was all Galwen said as he surveyed the darkness around them. "I haven't seen her since the fall."  
  
"I don't trust them fairies," Hoggle said ignorantly, diminishing past Galwen's reply. "She could be conspiring with Jareth for all we know."  
  
Galwen just gave him a glowering look. "I trust my sister with my life, thief. Why don't you mind yourself some manners and some lessons in speech while you're at it!" The elf was frustrated and it was apparent in his tone. Sarah only shook her head. She was aggravated, too, but there was no point in getting passionate.  
  
"Look, let's focus on a way of getting out of here first, then we'll worry later," she countered, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms.  
  
The two males only nodded. Suddenly, a shuffle was heard just ahead... Galwen indicated a pair of doors...  
  
~*~  
  
A pair of mismatched flutter open. He couldn't believe it. Jareth was laying in his bed; the covers warm and rumpled. He turned his head violently to the side, as he rose up... nothing.  
  
"Damn that Lorna," he thought hatefully.  
  
She had tricked him, seduced him, and left him before he could awaken from the intoxicating glamour spell to strangle her senseless! Jareth was furious! Standing bolt right to his feet, he dressed under trembling hands and flying fingers. He didn't remember anything. Nothing at all! How could he be so blind? How could be so foolish to fall for the petty gift he gave her? Faerie glamour was a curse, one that ultimately fell on him. He loathed Lorna, and now that he bedded her, she would be even more spiteful.  
  
He then thought for a moment; a realization hit him.  
  
"Sarah!"  
  
Storming past a group of goblins, he retorted angrily at them, "Move out of my way!" Streaking over to the balcony, he dived over it. His humanoid form degenerated into that of a snow-white owl. Violently, it hit the wind with its wings, heading for the very Labyrinth in which he created.  
  
~*~  
  
"What's the password."  
  
"I don't know nothing!" shouted Hoggle as Galwen grabbed him by the collar.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know anything? You live in this labyrinth, troll. You should know the password to pass!" Galwen exclaimed.  
  
"What's the password," the doors repeated over nasal tones. Sarah sighed and replied reassuringly, "There should be some clues around here, guys."  
  
Galwen's crystal blue eyes linger over to her as she smiled, placing her hands on her hips. Seeing her smile created a smile of his own. She was... beautiful. "You're right. Let's look around troll..."  
  
"I ain't a troll!" Hoggle exclaimed.  
  
Sarah only shook her head as she ventured off to the right in a shadowy portion leading to a set of binding vines and damp, enclosed vegetation. The distance muted the voices of her two counterparts. She could vaguely recognize what they were saying before a voice commanded her attention.  
  
"Sarah."  
  
The voice was familiar. Turning, her eyes grow wide at the form imposing before her. 


	10. Chapter 10: How You Turn My World

Author's Notes: Thanks for all the wonderful comments! Please review if you read this, needless if you like it or not. Comments are always helpful in the story writing process. The more comments I get, the more I send in! Enjoy! ^_^ ~Sable "Aeria" Li  
  
Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine. No profits will be made, this story was just written for my love of the movie! But, anyways, they, along with images, lines, places, scenes, words, phrases, etc, *EVERYTHING* belong to Jim Henson and their appropriate creators - they are not mine. Any chance consequential comparisons were not meant to be made, if any.  
  
This story has been two years in the making. Finally, I'm working on finishing it in type.  
Chapter 10: How You Turn My World  
  
The hair was wild and the pair of orbs carried a sense of indignation within them. Sarah was in disbelief at first, but welcomed the vision with a grin. "Lorna! I mean, Princess... we've been looking for you everywhere! Where were you?"  
  
Lorna's lavender lips warped into sly, almost abnormal smirk. She looked out behind her first, in the shadows that carried both the bodies of her brother and Hoggle, before replying to the inquisitive girl. Placing hands flatly on her hips, she frostily purred, "I was cast off in an anonymous direction of the Oubliette. I, too, have been searching for you, my dear."  
  
"I'm so glad to see you're safe! Galwen's been worrying like mad," exclaimed Sarah.  
  
"Yes, he's already told me," Lorna stated as she crossed her arms defensively. She then proceeded to run her hand through the mess of boisterous red-gold waves and curls, her fingers tangling against the braids and small plaits. Releasing a rather amorous sigh, the faerie's eyes flutter shut almost in the throws of passion. Sarah raised an eyebrow at the display but quickly shrugged it away. It was probably just a part of the faerie's gesticulations.  
  
"You've already met up with him?" Sarah asked, her own hazel eyes squinting against the plagues of darkness. For some strange reason, the brunette felt safe. Safe around Lorna. At first she hadn't; she had her share of skepticism about the lovely fae, but now those insidious thoughts were cast away into nothing more than an echo. She could barely see the form of the petite princess in front of her, but she could tell enough just by the shifty illuminations cast from open wounds on the oubliette's barriers. Lorna was definitely smiling... rather blissfully, she might add.  
  
Finally, the Faerie Princess droned, "Yes... Yes I have. They're waiting for us on the surface. Come, follow me. I'll show you a quick way out without having to solve any of Jareth's moronic puzzles. I swear I really do get tired of those riddles and abstract findings. It's quite... unbecoming and exasperating."  
  
Sarah only nodded. She had no idea that Lorna was well endowed in the knowledge of the Labyrinth. If she was, why hadn't she sought out Jareth before? With the power she had seen the faerie wield, she had no reason to belief that the woman could truthfully beat the Goblin King in a battle of power and wits. Instead, she had come to her for help... No matter. Sarah really didn't think much on the matter. She was just happy about the idea of getting out of this damp, dirty and secluded place. The idea of being back to the surface, surrounded by her friends, was good enough for her.  
  
~*~  
  
Hoggle had searched and searched, yet still found nothing. There weren't any feasible clues around on how to open those stubborn doors! Galwen, the Princely Elfin Knight, didn't help any with his persistent harassing and lexis coated in torrents of fire. When the dwarf shot smart, improper remarks with his stubborn tongue, the elfin male just exploded even more.  
  
"I'm sorry, Hoggle, it's just... I'm way beyond my limit in tolerance. I hate this place," the knight scowled as he rubbed his temples with sweaty thumbs. His shoulder length sandy blonde hair was drenched in sweat from the heat of his hunt; the waves subdued within the weight of his body's natural cooling mechanisms.  
  
Hoggle, for the better part, was not real found for fae or elfin folks in the first place. He always had to do Jareth's bidding when it came down to keeping the spiteful nymphs and creatures at bay from the Labyrinthine walls. He had met Lorna on several occasions, and from those impressions he didn't like her. Galwen was known, with stories escalated from the Underground, in being a just knight worthy of the crown. He was a bit tempered at times, but the ladies in faraway lands would swoon at the sight of him. Hoggle didn't really see what those females saw in him anyway.  
  
Lorna. Princess Lorna was, well, a bit harder to figure out. She was beautiful, that much he knew, but there was something about the woman he didn't like. It was like something he didn't exactly get. Fae folk weren't his cup of tea, though. He really didn't waste too much time in trying to rationalize the matter.  
  
"That's okay," was all he said as he panted between two well-rounded rocks, shielding against a ray of light. The surface was just beyond these doors; he knew it. What he didn't know cursed him now. He knew more about this Labyrinth, technically anyway aside from Jareth, than any other creature dwelling here - but these doors were new to him.  
  
Tossing a few strands of grass and rocks to the side, Galwen finally came across a flat stone wedged into the ground. It was covered in soot and dust and he blew it away with one heavy puff. Squinting against the shadows, he managed to notice a series of etchings across the stone's shell. Calling for Hoggle and Sarah, he ran his fingers over the surface in attempt to make out what it said.  
  
Limping over, Hoggle knelt beside the tall, slender knight to see what he had found. From the faint, weak light, he could barely see anything but he knew something was written there. Looking up as the knight inspected further, he expected to hear Sarah's feet sprinting in their direction. He heard nothing.  
  
"Galwen..." the dwarf anxiously whispered.  
  
The elf's eyes strained against the darkness, trying to fish together the words on the stone. "What?" he asked plainly, his blue eyes sparkling with theories.  
  
"Where's Sarah?" asked the thief.  
  
Now distracted, Galwen glanced up and saw nothing but dancing shadows fighting against light. Sarah's form was not to be seen, which instantly leveled the man to his feet. Fingering for his sword, he halted Hoggle from rising himself with a wave of his hand. Approaching the darkness, Galwen allowed the hypersensitivity of his ears to help guide him through the black maze.  
  
"Sarah," he muttered, recalling that sweet, angelic face of hers. Those eyes, those rosy lips, her long silky hair. It veiled over him like a dreamy image of a Goddess. A goddess he longed to adore and worship, but he held his own personal restraints for the mission at hand. It was no secret that he was attracted to her. He was so ever since carrying the lovely creature through the Enchanted Forest to Lorna's silvery crystalline castle. Nothing was going to happen to her, or his sister! He knew Lorna could fend for herself, but his heart ached for Sarah... he would find her. But, how would he tell her how he felt?  
  
All his premonitions worked waywardly as he studied the murky corridor in the direction she had gone. Something told him that he was over reacting, but something else told him that he had a reason to be concerned. He didn't allow these emotions to transcend into his common sense, however. He just advanced further and further into the dark well, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dim surrounding.  
  
It was then, at the end of an outstretched pile of rubble, he saw a slim figure approaching. It had long hair, and at first he had thought it to be Sarah, but as Galwen advanced, that conclusion faded from his mind. It was none other than...  
  
"Jareth." Galwen sneered the name distastefully as he sprung out his sword, warning the Goblin King of his intent. "If you have harmed Sarah, I swear I will..."  
  
"Settle down pitiful creature. I've come to help," Jareth retorted slyly.  
  
Blue eyes instantly narrowed at the words. Jareth... help? Ha! It made Galwen want to laugh aloud! The Goblin King moved into the dim pale light to reveal that smug, stone face marked with arrogance and adorned with cheek glitter. His eyes drooped in displeasure at the sight of the sword.  
  
"Oh please, spare me the incompetent warning," Jareth groaned, resting a gloved hand on his hip.  
  
"I don't want your help. It is because of you that I'm here! Your blood will spill by my blade," Galwen shouted, running towards Jareth quickly with the tip of his sword outstretched and aimed for the King's belly.  
  
The Goblin King just scoffed a chuckle before casually moving aside and punning the sword out of the elf's grip with one single gesture of his hand. Shocked, Galwen spun around, intent on reaping havoc on the cold man's face... but the King stalled him instantly in his tracks with one glowering glare. He had suspended the elf in his tracks before he could impose any further.  
  
"Don't toy with me, Galwen, I'm in no mood," shouted Jareth pompously.  
  
"Release me, heathen!"  
  
"No, you will listen to me for a change, dear Prince," the King stuttered mockingly with a source of pain filling in his accented tone. "That sister of yours has been a pain in my side ever since she stepped foot into my Labyrinth. She intends Sarah harm. That cruel wench is more cynical than I am..."  
  
"What the hell are you getting at?" Galwen fired, straining to move his arms and legs in the frozen animation he was in. Jareth just paid him a smile with chapped, thin lips, thrashing the air about him with his whip.  
  
It was at that moment, Hoggle came charging up, stopping at the sight of the Goblin King. Trembling in fear, he tried to escape back into the recesses of darkness, but it was too late. Jareth had seen him and suspended him as well several meters away from the Elfin Knight. "No, no!" Hoggle exclaimed.  
  
Jareth just ignored the dwarf as he walked up closer to the man that had eyes for his Sarah. Sarah. Beautiful, wonderful, strong... Damn! He kept recalling those same temptations that fluttered at his... 'heart'. No. Casting them away with a wicked grin, he folded his arms and studied the elf with cold mismatched eyes. Galwen looked up at him and spit in his face. That removed that beaming, smug face immediately.  
  
Striking him against the cheek with the back of his hand, Jareth sneered hotly, "You disrespectful fool! I gave you everything that you had, everything that Lorna wanted!"  
  
"No, you didn't! You never gave me anything you poor excuse of a man! My father hated you and fought you to the day he died. You were the reason why he died and I plan to avenge what you wronged," the elf yelled with blistering words.  
  
"Lorna never told you?" The Goblin King had asked the question with a smirk and a half laugh. This was great! He would be the one to deliver the devastating news with a few swift words, piercing harder than any blood- ridden dagger.  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
Jareth watched the man's eyes as they quiver with rage. Certainly, this was enticing to the king. Sadly, he wasn't here to ruin this man of his life or dignity. He was here to find Sarah, to protect her. Lorna was after her; he knew it. That sadistic wench had wanted him, his body, his very essence ever since she stepped foot into his world. And, she had gotten it through glamour. His weakness became her strength. He couldn't allow her to prevail, to defeat him as Sarah did. If that happened... No. That could never happen. He wouldn't allow it. Sarah's defeat over him only changed her life; but, since Lorna was an Underground foil, a woman who was 'real' turned into fae, this could prove disastrous. It would change the whole politics of the Underground forever... She would become the Goblin Queen, and he would cease from existence. That's why he had to find Sarah. Not because he loved her; it was because he needed her away from this place. For good. Forever.  
  
"Nothing. Never mind. Where is Sarah?"  
  
"Why don't you tell me, Jareth?" Galwen retorted.  
  
"Do you know where Lorna is then?" Jareth replied coldly, under stone washed eyes.  
  
"No... like I would even tell you anyway!"  
  
~*~  
  
The light of the fiery sky disturbed Sarah's vision as she emerged to the surface. She was thankful and glad to see the above ground once again. Dreading the oubliette personally, she turned to face Lorna who stood close behind her.  
  
Sarah asked, "Where are the others?" Scanning the area around under a shielding hand, she took her eyes off the Princess.  
  
"Don't worry about them..." Lorna hissed, placing her hand around Sarah's neck.  
  
A warm sensation began to burn and bubble throughout the girl's blood. She felt faint... Suddenly, her world went black. 


End file.
